Wallpaper pasting machine



April 18, 1939- J. R. STEREN ET AL WALLPAPER FASTING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 18, 1936 Patented Apr. 18, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE F. Kramer, Alton, 111.

said Kramer said Steren assignor to Application September 18, 1936, Serial No. 101,498

8 Claims.

This invention relates primarily to machines for the automatic application of paste to the back of wall paper as the paper is unrolled. Various machines for the spreading of paste have been produced, but as far as we are aware none of them have been commercially successful on account of their failure to operate satisfactorily with paste of varying consistency. Our object, therefore, is to provide a fixed unyielding paste distributor, governor or drag which is in constant sliding or wiping contact with the coated face of the paper for the removal of surplus paste, together with means for adiustably proportioning or depositing the paste in parallel lines or ridges of predetermined thickness.

A further object of the invention is to produce a machine of the character described which is provided with conical bearings arranged to take up wear, the parts being so made that the coating roll is quickly and easily removable for washing, means being provided to insure the automatic ,seating 01' the bearings, and to protect same against being gummed up by paste collecting in the working parts.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fluted guiding roller on which accidentally deposited paste may collect in the flutes or grooves without spotting or smearing the design side of the wall paper with paste spots.

A further object of the invention is to so mount to cut the paper.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a dump valve structure for the discharge of paste and water when the machine is to be cleaned, such dump valve device being so made that it is self-cleaning and will always seal the discharge opening of the paste receptacle.

With the general objects namedin view and other as will hereinafter appear, the invention consists in certain novel and useful features of construction and organization of parts as hereinafter described and claimed; and in order that it may be fully understood, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the machine with its hinged top down.

Figure 2 is a fragmental top plan view of the end of the machine equipped with the drain spout, the paste roll of the machine being removed from position.

Figure 3 is a cross section through the machine with the drain spout and valve shown in dotted lines.

Figure 4 is a fragmental front elevation of one end of the machine.

Figure 5 is a fragmental perspective view of one end of a paper pressing member forming a part of the machine.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmental vertical section taken through the coating roll to illustrate its bearing adjustments at the opposite ends of the paste container.

Figure '7 is a section through the paste governor or wiping rod to illustrate the method of mounting and adjusting the same.

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmental end view of the governor or paste wiping rod in its preferred form.

Figure 9 is a cross section through the type of wiping rod or plate governor shown in Figure 8.

Figures 10 and 11 are respectively fragmental end and side views of a modified type of paste governor.

Figure 12 is an end view of another modified type of governor or paste drag.

Figures 13 and 14 are respectively fragmental end and side views of another modified type of governor.

In the said drawings, where like reference characters identify corresponding parts in all of the figures, l is a support of any suitable type, but for convenience comprising a rectangular box shaped member closed on its bottom and four sides, the back wall being cut away to give access to a storage compartment 2 for small tools or the like. Spaced some distance above the bottom of the box member I, is a concave bottom 3 to form a liquid wall paper paste receptacle or container. One end wall of the box, below the bottom 3 of the paste receptacle, is set back as at 4 to provide a recess. Projecting into the recess is a drain spout 5 for the draining of water and paste from the paste receptacle, the end of said drain spout being sealed against leakage by a semi-spherical compressible member 6 (for convenience a rubber ball), which is journaled on a cross rod 1 which is suspended by a pair of bail-like elements or arms 8, secured to the spout as shown, or to the bottom of the container. The parts are so proportioned that the ball tends to roll to and from compressed sealing position and thus maintains a leak proof joint and is selfcleaning.

Journaled for rotation within the paste container and with the lower portion of its periphery in the paste therein is a paste supply roll 9,

which, for lightness, is preferably hollow watertight construction. Projecting in axial alinement from the opposite ends of said roll are stud members i and I I. The stud member I0 is bored and tapped to receive a threaded socketed member l2 which is left permanently in position for a purpose which hereinafter appears, and the extremity of said stud is formed as the female member l3 of a conical hearing. The end of the stud I0 is received within a cavity or socket i4 formed in a casting l5 permanently secured in the end wall of the paste container, said casting within its socket portion have the male member l6 of the conical bearing which cooperatively fits in the companion female member l4. The casting is provided with an opening I! through which a hexagonal key l8 may be inserted into the socket of the member I2 to rotate the paste roll by hand when operations are first commenced and the roll is dry, and, therefore, does not rotate under the pull of the wall paper as will hereinafter appear. Also, by rotation or oscillation of the roller 8 it can be used as an agitator to stir the paste when it has stood for some time and the liquidand solid contents of the paste have separated.

The other stud ll of the paste roll 9 is formed in its end with a female member I 9 of a conical bearing, to receive the male member of its cooperating element. The male member 20 is formed on the end of a rod 2|, which midway its length is provided with an enlarged threaded portion 22. The outer end of the rod is reduced and is threaded as at 23. Threaded on the portion 23 is a clamping wheel 24 and keyed to the end of the rod is an adjusting wheel or handle 25. Secured permanently to the end wall of the paste container is an integrally threaded sleeve member 26 receiving the threaded enlargement 22 of the rod 2|, the reduced or bearing equipped end of the rod projecting through an opening in the closed end of the sleeve for paste retaining purposes and to provide a guard or housing so that the threaded portions of the device may not become gummed up in service. With this construction the bearing l920 may be adjusted through manipulation of the hand wheel 24 and is then looked in position by rotating the locking or clamping wheel 23 into clamping relation with the end of the sleeve member 26.

The casting l5 and the sleeve member 26 are respectively provided with semi-circular extension portions I51: and 26a projecting .into the paste container to act as stirrups to receive the studs II! and II of the paste roll and hold the same temporarily in position while its conical bearings are being brought into seated position.

To guide the studs into the stirrups a pairof downwardly inclined flanges 2611 project from the end walls of the paste container, the parts being so proportioned that when the rod 2| is threaded inwardly the conical bearings are automatically seated and the studs l0 and II are lifted from contact with the stirrups.

The preferred form of paste governor or wiping rod comprises a metal rod 21 having a series of spaced grooves or slots 28 extending peripherally around the rod, those shown commencing at the surface of the rod and progressively increasing in width and depth, until they reach a maximum at the opposite side of the rod, and then commencing to decrease in width and depth until they emerge flush with the rods surface at the starting point. The rod at the right hand end of the machine is journaled in the end wall and at its extremity is provided with an adjusting handle or wheel 29 by means of which the rod may be ad- J'usted to vary the extent or area of its surface in wiping relation with the pasted side of the paper as will hereinafter appear. After the rod is adjusted it is clamped in position by having its opposite end formed with a threaded reduced stem 33 projecting through a bushing 3| in the wall of the paste receptacle. Threaded on the projecting end 30 is a clamping wheel 32 by means of which the shoulder formed at the junction of the large and small diameters of the rod may be brought into clamped relation with the inner end of the bushing.

The roll of paper P is rotatably carried by a rod 33 supported at its ends in a pair of suitable ears 34 projecting from the lower front corners of the box I, and made in any desirable manner to receive rods of different diameter. Above the paper roll support is a paper guide roller 35 having trunnion ends 36 journaled in a pair of ears 3'! projecting from the upper front corners of the box I.

A pair of ears 38 project rearwardly from the upper rear corners of the box I, and pivoted thereon is a frame adapted to fold down on top of the box, said frame comprising a pair of side bars 39 connected together at their front ends by a flat board 40 which constitutes a paper cutting table as will hereinafter appear. At a point in front of the axis of the paste roll, when the frame is hinged down and is resting on the box, are a pair of downwardly projecting arms 4| terminatingshort of the level of the paste in the receptacle and rotatably carried at the lower end of said arms is a paper guiding roller 42, having narrow spaced portions of larger diameter in frictional contact with the figured side of the. paper, and guiding said paper so that it shall contact the pasting roll 9 as will hereinafter appear. The roller is of alternately large and small diameter to decrease the liability of spotting the figured side of the paper and to decrease its frictional contact on the paper as compared to that of the guide roller 41 hereinafter identified.

Also carried by the side bars 33 are a pair of downwardly projecting spaced flanges 43 extending crosswise of the paste container and parallel to the pasting roll 9. The spaced flanges 43 receive a presser member or board 44, which when the hinged frame is down, is in such position as to contact the figured side of the paper and cause the paper to buckle or bend to hold it in contact with the pasting roll 9 and the paste governor 21. The lower end of the presser board may be notched as shown to reduce chance of paste smearing, and in order that it may be vertically adjusted to increase the pressure or tension on the paper, as will hereinafter appear, said board is formed with a series of vertical slots 45 through which project wing nut equipped clamping bolts 46 carried by the flanges 43. It will be evident that by manipulation of the clamp bolts 43, the

vertical position of the presser and'consequently its tension on the paper, or degree which it pushes the paper out of straight line travel between the pasting roll and the wiping rod or paste governor, is adjusted, Journaled between the bars 33 rearwardly of the presser board is a longitudinally fluted paper guide roller 41 over which thepaper is adapted to be guided and then brought forwardly over the cutting table" onto the usual paperhangers table, not shown.

In the operation of the machine, the pivoted top frame is swung to open position and then downwardly projecting elements carried by said frame, namely, the roller 42 and the presser ll will contact and kink or distort what would otherwise be the horizontal surface of the paper; so

that it is in frictional contact with the pasting roller and with the paste governor and presser member. The paper is now folded back around the guiding roller 41 and over the machine onto the paper hangers cutting table, not shown. We have found that for most efflcient operation of a pasting machine positive wiping contact of the paper with a non-yielding straight member, is essential for even distribution of paste for the entire width of the paper, and that to meet all conditions of paste consistency, means must be provided, not only to remove desired quantities of surplus paste, but also to vary the tension of the wiper or'paste governor. Also in order that the pasting roll may use practically all of the paste supply it has been found desirable that the surplus paste wiped off the pasted side of the paper should be returned to the surface of the pasting roll since the roll turns with sufficient speed that the paste will cling to its surface for a full revolution. We have hereinabove described the preferred wiping means for removing surplus paste, and it is evident that by changing the acuteness of the angle borne by the paper approaching and receding from the wiper, the amount of force or resistance on the paper is correspondingly governed. In the present case, the paste consistency and stiffness of the paper remaining the same, it will be apparent that the acuteness of the angle over the wiper may be regulated by the vertical positioning of the presser member 44, although of course the same effect can be secured by relative change in positions of the guide roller 41, the I presser member 44 or the wiping or governing member 21. A change in the consistency of the paste, the adjustments of the parts remaining the same, will increase or decrease the paper tension, since the tendency of the paper to adhere to the pasting roller is dependent on the adhesiveness between the paper and the paste being used in the machine. It is also to be noted, that the presser bears such relation to the wiper and paste roll, that increase in tension on the paper does not tend to lift it out of contact with the paste roll.

In Figures 10 and 11' we have illustrated a modified type of wiper or paste governor, which comprises a rotatable rod 48 to which is secured one end of a curved metal plate member 49 having its surface formed with a series of spaced grooves of gradually increasing width and depth. When the rod is rotated, the member 49 may be swung toward and from the dotted line position (Figure 10) to change the point of paper contact with relation to depth of slot and area of rod in wiping contact. In practice it has been found desirable in the operation of the wiper shown in Figures 8, 9, l and 11, that they be mounted so that the paper moves in the direction of the arrows shown in Figures 9 and 10, that is moves from a large capacity part of the grooves toward smaller.

Figure 12 and Figures 13 and 14, respectively, indicate wipers which are adjustable in steps, rather than having infinite increment of adjustment as in the wipers of Figures 8, 9, and 11. In Figure 12, the wiper comprises a hexagonal bar 50 having its corners formed with notches, saw or file kerfs of different depths as illustrated. In Figures 13 and 14, a similar result is secured by notches cut in the ends of cross-shaped arms ii of a rod or bar having such cross section.

From the above description it will be apparent that we have produced a machine possessing all of the features of advantage set forth as desir able, and while we have described and illustrated the preferred embodiment, we reserve the right to all changes within the spirit of the invention and without the ambit of the prior art.

We claim:

1. The combination in a wall paper pasting machine, of a paste container, a pasting roll extending into said container, a presser member for holding the paper down on the pasting roll as such paper leaves said roll, a paper guiding element to receive the paper after it has passed the presser member, and a non-yielding paste governing member inserted between the presser member and paper guiding element and in positive wiping contact with the pasted surface of the paper; said paste governing member, paper guiding element and presser member being relatively adjustable to change the angle formed between the planes of the paper approaching and receding from the paste governing member.

'2. The combination in a pasting machine, of a paste container, a pasting roll extending into the container, a pair of studs projecting from the ends of said roll and having conical bearing members at their extremities. a conical bearing member carried by one wall of the container to cooperate with the bearing member in one of said studs, a conical bearing member in threaded relation with the other end of the container to be seated in the corresponding bearing in the other stud of the roll means to lock said threaded bearing in fixed position, and stirrup members carried by the opposite ends of the paste container to receive the projecting studs and support the roll with the said bearings in alinement so that upon threaded adjustment of the threaded bearing member the roll will be brought to journaled relation on the conical bearings.

3. The combination in a wall paper pasting machine, of a paste container, a frame adapted to be moved to and from superposed relation on the paste container, a pasting roll journaled at its ends in the paste container and adapted to be immersed in paste contained therein, a paste governing member mounted in said container for wiping contact with, the pasted side of the paper as it leaves the pasting roll, a pair of paper guide rollers carried by the frame in spaced relation, one of said rollers being adapted to project into the container, and a paper presser member depending from said frame intermediate said rollers and also intermediate the positions of the governing member and the pasting roll, said rollers and presser member contacting the patterned side of the paper in opposition to the pasting roll and governing member.

4. The combination in a wall paper pasting machine, of a paste container, a frame adapted to be moved to and from superposed relation on the paste container, a pasting roll journaled at its ends in the paste container and adapted to be immersed in the paste contained therein, a paste governing member mounted in said container for wiping contact with the pasted side of the paper as it leaves the pasting roll and for depositing the paste wiped from the paper onto the surface of the pasting roll, a pair of paper guide rollers carried by the frame in spaced relation, one or said rollers being adapted to project into the container, and a paper presser member depending from said frame intermediate said rollers and also intermediate the positions of the governing member and the pasting roll, said rollers and presser member contacting the patterned side of the paper in opposition to the pasting roll and governing member.

5. The combination in a wall paper pasting machine, of a paste container, a pasting roll extending into the container, a pair of studs projecting from the ends of the roll and having conical bearing members at their'extremities, a conical bearing member carried by one wall of the container to receive the bearing member at one end of the roll, an internally threaded outwardly opening socket carried by the other end wall of the container and having its opposite end terminating in a reduced opening, a conical bearing member in threaded relation with the socket and having its bearing end snugly projecting through the reduced opening in the end of the socket for cooperating with its companion bearing on the end of the pasting roll, and means to lock said threaded bearing membe in adjusted position.

6. The combination in a wall paper, pasting machine, of a paste container, a wall paper pasting roll journaled at its ends in said container, means to guide the paper into contact with the pasting roll, a paste governing member for wiping contact with the pasted paper, said governing member extending parallel to the pasting roll and being journaled at its opposite ends in the end walls of the container, the ends of the governing member being projected through the container wall, a handle secured to one projecting end of the governing member for axially rotating the same, and means carried by the other end oi! said member for trictionally clamping same in adjusted position.

7. In a wall paper pasting machine, the combination of a paste container, a pasting roll extending into the container, 9. guide roller next adjacent the pasting roll for guiding unpasted paper onto said roll, a paper supporting frame above the paste container, a guide roller for guiding pasted paper onto said frame, said first guide roller having a series of peripheral ribs in paper contact and the second guide roller being longitudinally fluted, whereby said rollers re spectively offer a smaller and a larger area to frictional engagement with the paper to resist movement of the paper longitudinally of said rollers.

8. In a wall paper pasting machine, a rectangular container having opposite end and side walls, a recess in one of said end walls, a paste trough spaced above the bottom of said container and having its margins secured to the container walls in liquid-tight relation, a drain spout communicating with the trough and having its discharge end within the recessed space in the end wall of the container, and a selfcleaning closure element controlling the discharge end 01' said spout and when in closed position being wholly within the recess formed in the container.

JOHN R. STEREN. 

